


Sabbatical

by IreneClaire



Series: Various Notions Collection [14]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Bromance, Drabble Collection, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light-Hearted, Not too much plot, a bit of whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-16 23:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10581714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneClaire/pseuds/IreneClaire
Summary: Based on my own Word of the day self challenge:Sabbatical - a sabbatical year; leave; a break or change from a normal routine (as of employment)Danny decides he needs to take a break - a nice long sabbatical - not only from Five-0, but from Steve. Is it temporary ... or permanent? Can he even really do it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

**_Word of the day: Sabbatical_ ** _-_ _a sabbatical year; leave; a break or change from a normal routine (as of employment)_

 

"A what?" Steve asked. He was dumbfounded as Danny simply stood in front of him on crutches, a knapsack thrown over one shoulder, his car keys jangling happily from the one finger he had free.

"You're thinking of doing ... what?"

"No, Steve. Not _thinking_ of _doing_ anything... taking," Danny corrected him. "I'm _taking_ a sabbatical."

"A... sabbatical?" Steve shook his head. He glanced down at the soft-cast covering Danny's lower leg, the raw scrape on his chin, and then frowned at the lightweight knapsack. There were so many questions rattling around inside his head, that he didn't know which one to pick from first, so he wound up picking the safest one.

"Why? You're cleared for desk duty ... I need you here. I need ..."

"No, no you don't," Danny interrupted, nearly upsetting his unstable stance by trying to gesture with one crutch at the same time. "You have plenty of hands on deck. So, I'm taking this nice break - a sabbatical. A nice, long holiday away ... something like a retreat. _Far, far away_."

" _Away_ from what?" Steve asked in frustration. "And now wait a damn minute! How far?"

"And now you see, therein lies the kicker," Danny smirked. "Not from what ... but from whom. Namely ... _you_. And as far as _where_ ... I haven't quite settled on that yet; wherever the wind takes me, maybe."

"The what? The ... _wind_? Are you being entirely serious right now?" Steve said, incredulous. He stopped then, his mouth working soundlessly as something finally settled more firmly inside his brain. "You're taking a sabbatical ... from _me_? You can't do that."

"No?" Danny argued lightly as the smirk grew across his face. "And why not ... exactly?"

"Because!"

"Because why, Steven? Come on ... I need a good reason because getting shot at every other week has gotten old ... and after what happened yesterday ..."

"You do not get shot at every other week, Danny!" Steve gestured towards the crutches and light weight cast on Danny's foot. His shrug clearly indicated that he thought his partner was being overly dramatic despite some pretty substantial evidence to the contrary.

"You're completely over-reacting about what happened. That's not even from a bullet wound!"

"Close enough!" Danny retorted loudly. Clearly astounded that he even might be blamed for over-reacting. "It's from running _away_ from bullets! Therefore it counts!"

"Oh my God," Steve said in disbelief. He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, arms flung out wide. "Really? _Really_ , Danny? Because you _are_ a cop you know and cops _do_ get shot at ... that's part of the job!"

"You're going to tell me ... a trained, experienced law enforcement officer ... that I should _expect_ to get shot at, Steven? And maybe even _like_ it?" Danny's mouth gaped wide, his tone dripping nothing but sarcasm. "Are you trying to _school_ me buddy, because it sure as hell isn't going to work! I full well know the hazards of my chosen profession! What I object to is my partner's gung-ho methods which leave the two of us wide open for being shot at in the first place! That ... and damned near almost drowning as if things weren't exciting enough!"

Hands now on his hips, Steve made a face, annoyed and even on the verge of angry. He tried to stare his partner down, but Danny was unflinching and far from being even remotely penitent.

"You broke cover," Danny replied evenly. "Broke cover ... never looked back ... just kept right on going without backup. What the hell were you thinking?!"

"He was getting away, Danno! Keep up next time," Steve ground out, that thin line now crossed. "You _are_ my backup. At least you're supposed to be."

"Keep up? Did you really just say that?" Danny purred nastily. "How the hell am I supposed to do anything when you just take off so damned irresponsibly?"

"Are you saying it's all my fault?" Steve asked. "So, yesterday was _my_ fault? My fault you got tackled off the docks? The _boo boo_ on your damned _foot_ ... is all my fault?" He was angry as Danny simply stood there, aloof and unshakeable as their mutual tones changed and the argument escalated.

"Could be," Danny snarked back, his face reddening in anger. "Nearly _drowning_ is hardly an over-reaction. Being forced to stay overnight in the hospital is _hardly_ over-reacting, Steven. Needing crutches for the next six weeks is hardly blowing things out of proportion! And by the way, it's a hairline fracture ... a bit more serious than what you'd _like_ it to be."

"Fine," Steve snarled. He waved one hand dismissively towards the door. "Go ... wherever the hell it is you think you're going to take this little ... sabbatical."

Steve stared at Danny waiting but it was all for nothing. His partner wasn't going to give and he was going to be forced to ask. Unable to avoid asking, Steve scowled.

"Where are you going?" He finally asked. But, with a rude waggle of his fingers, his car keys jangling loudly, Danny turned and thumped away on his crutches. It was almost as if he'd been waiting for Steve to ask that very question and he felt his ire rise again.

" _God_ _dam-nit_ , Danny! Where the hell are you going?"

"Bye, bye, Steven!" Danny called out over his shoulder, the soft shuffle-thump of his off-balance walk fading down the hallway.

"Danny! Are you kidding me right now?" Steve shouted after his disappearing partner. "Hey! Get back here!"

But Danny was already gone and out of ear-shot.

**H5O* H5O***

"He's what?" Chin asked in total confusion. "Why?"

"We're taking a break from each other." Steve blinked as soon as the words left his mouth, too late to realize what they sounded like. Kono chuckled out right as his cheeks reddened.

"That's okay, Boss. We get it," Kono said.

"There's nothing to _get_ ," Steve stated adamantly. "Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Danny just needs some ... space."

"Space?" Chin asked. "Where did he go?" His mouth twitched while Kono only giggled more loudly, and Steve glared at both cousins in silent reprimand.

A moment later it was Kono who gasped first in understanding. "You don't know do you?"

"He said it was a sabbatical," Steve practically growled out. "And no ... I've no idea where he's gone off to. He didn't say."

"A sabbatical? Isn't that kind of ... extreme?" Chin questioned. "I mean, yeah, yesterday was dicey. That guy was out of control on PCP and Danny ... to be honest, Steve, I thought he'd _drowned_. And even his ankle ... he's a bit messed up after what happened down at the docks... he took quite a fall; we all had a bad scare. I'm not sure he's up to being alone."

"I know that," Steve griped defensively. "I'm the one who fished him out of the water and ... and, _dammit_! So, I know all of that, Chin!"

"When he got rammed off the dock by our perp," Kono saw fit to remind him, feigning obliviousness to the stern set of Steve's jaw. "That perp got him good ... I mean, we thought you had him in custody and then ... then he was just tackling Danny as if he was nothing!"

"I _did_ have him!" Steve said. "I _had_ him and then he got a little bit squirrely and ..."

"And then he pulled a gun on you and you lost him. It happens," Chin recounted all too calmly, merely accepting the event's unfortunate fall-out. "He sort of just slipped out of your fingers ... and .. uh ..."

"Barreled smack dab into Danny," Kono said as she slapped the palms of her hands together for emphasis. "Broadsided him like he was nothing ... sacked him like ..."

"All right!" Steve almost shouted. "I get it! I screwed up ... but hey! Danny's fine ... it's not bad ... he's even cleared to work! I know it's just desk duty, but come on! Everyone is completely over-reacting!"

"You gave him mouth to mouth, Boss," Kono said. She winced, her face coloring before she shrugged helplessly. "That's hardly screwing up. No, way. I don't think you screwed up at all ... not once. We thought you got hit. Then the perp and Danny both nearly drowned; but you know how Danny gets."

"No, you didn't screw up at all," Chin readily agreed. "And Danny's just ... upset. He's hung up on things and what could have happened. Letting him take some time off is a good idea. In fact, I don't remember the last time he took some time to himself, so let him this one and let it all go ... you got to let it go."

"Yeah," Steve said as he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling as if he still might self-combust by the stress of the last 24 hours. He'd been up the entire night dwelling on what it had felt like having to pull his partner out of the harbor. At first, Danny hadn't been breathing and Steve had launched into his medical training without thinking.

They'd scared the crap out of each other and Chin was right, Danny was being _Danny_ and his partner needed to get away. Really, after what had nearly happened, who could blame him?

"Yeah, you're right. He just needs a break." Steve said the words but he had a plan hatching. Danny could run .. but he couldn't hide. With a pleased chuffed sound, Steve began to smile.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Below - well Danny - ah! What has he done?

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

Arms flung carelessly over his head, Danny smiled happily as he stretched long and lean across the soft bed. He grinned up at the ceiling as he listened to the calls of seabirds screeching to each other out over the ocean. He'd opened the sliding glass doors to the balcony of the spacious suite. The view was spectacular but he only wanted to sleep ... rest ... not think of a single thing except the delicious meal which he'd ordered to his room for a private dinner.

He was finally off his feet and resting. Two very simple things he'd vowed to do as soon as he'd escaped the office ... and his erstwhile partner who seemed to beg, borrow and steal trouble at the drop of a hat. Danny made a face as he replayed the scene down by the docks just one day earlier. He knew that his flare of temper was unreasonable; he'd had no right to be so accusatory towards Steve. Danny could only blame himself for feeling out of sorts and off kilter, even a bit embarrassed for rousing scant inches from his partner's nose after he'd nearly drowned.

Drowned. He closed his eyes and visibly winced at memories much too close to the surface.

 _Mouth to mouth._ Really? It had been ... startling ... to learn that had been necessary to say the least. With a chuffed sound of something akin to dismay, Danny wondered if he'd rather have drowned.

Their murderous perp had been wily, one of those parkour types which made snagging him nearly impossible. Danny had been horrified when Steve thought he could keep up with nearly 75 percent of what the young man had thrown at them. Horrified and then duly terrified for his partner's safety and well-being. The fact that he'd been armed with not only a knife, but a gun, had made taking him down even more troublesome. It hadn't been fair and Danny'd been lost in the dust more than once in the desperate chase.

Steve had had their perp at one point and they'd all thought it over. He'd had the guy trussed up practically and then all hell had unexpectedly broken loose when the gun appeared in the man's gloved hands.

His mood soured now as Danny still couldn't get the images right in his brain. The guy had been damned fast, emboldened by the PCP running through his system, and had slipped away from Steve after firing the weapon between them, leaving Steve stranded on his back and gasping for breath. The gun had discharged _between them_ and Danny was still cringing at the memory of thinking Steve had been shot at point-blank range - suffering from a deadly wound - regardless of his tac vest.

Petrified for Steve but unable to get to him, Danny had tried to block and tackle their perp. However, tables had turned again and he'd been the one tackled first into a pile of crates before being pitched into the waters, arms and legs entangled together.

The perp had been knocked unconscious and Danny badly stunned. The bigger man's body had dragged Danny down and he hadn't been able to save himself, let alone anyone else. Nonetheless, he'd tried, his strength waning quickly, utterly relieved when he sensed two dark silhouettes swimming aggressively towards them. Kono had gotten the perp; Steve had gone for him, pulling him close just as Danny had felt obligated to panic. He'd flailed wildly and then lost the battle to hold his breath, inhaling water despite his best attempts not to.

He'd been unconscious when they'd surfaced, only half aware in the ambulance and then spent the night in the hospital. It was during those long overnight hours that Danny had remembered more of his ordeal.

 _God_ , had it been that bad that he'd needed _mouth to mouth_ resuscitation? From ... _Steve_? Flinging his arm over his eyes, Danny groaned in the silence of his hotel room, willing his brain to stop its relentless rewind. But he was never going to live _that_ down; he just knew it.

He argued briefly with himself until he agreed that he needed the respite; a nice break from the torturous regime of the last few days. Of that split second belief that Steve had been killed. Then of narrowly escaping death himself. He needed the time to purge his brain of Steve's terrified face, inches from his own, water dripping relentlessly onto Danny's wet forehead as he struggled to cough up what seemed like half the harbor.

Ever so slowly, Danny convinced himself that the earlier argument in the offices was part of their make-up dance. It was how they dealt with both the fear and subsequent relief. Steve was fine. He, Danny, would also be fine. He _deserved_ this break. With a newly contented sigh, Danny rolled his head to the left and grinned at the crutches and the soft cast which lay tossed carelessly to the floor.

He wouldn't be needing those props any time soon.

He wiggled his toes and that grin turned into a belly laugh. Tears were streaming down his face by the time he'd gotten the giggles out of his system and he bounded off the bed with nary a limp. If Steve knew what he'd cooked up with the doctor, there would be hell to pay. There wasn't a need for him to find out though. None whatsoever. It was all part and parcel of their dance Danny reminded himself. A minor lesson for Steve in the possible consequences of what could happen if he broke cover, left Danny behind, and stupidly left both of their own sixes wide open.

"Putz," Danny said out loud to no one at all as he wandered out to the balcony where he stood in the warmth of the sun. His mental monologue hadn't entirely worked and he still was feeling somewhat guilty. With a weary sigh, Danny shook his head to find that happy place again. He stood there with his eyes closed, just breathing in the fresh air for minutes on end, until there was a knock at the suite's door.

"Hold on!" He called out as he strode down the short hall to open the door for the stone-faced waiter who refused to smile as he pushed the food trolley into the suite.

"Your dinner," the waiter stated blandly. "Inside or out?"

"Out, I think," Danny answered as he gestured towards the balcony. He cocked his head quizzically at the man's cold attitude and then chose to ignore it; Danny had much better plans in mind and well, maybe it was the end of a long day for this guy, too. Nonetheless, Danny couldn't help pushing just a bit to see if he could get a rise out of the waiter.

"It's a perfect evening, don'tcha think?"

There was a soft disgruntled sigh and a barely perceptible shrug. The waiter straightened to his full height, his face hard and emotionless as he stared down at Danny. "Will that be all, sir?"

"Yup, you bet. Thanks, buddy," Danny practically purred as he handed the waiter a tip, pleased when the stoic man deigned to finally quirk one side of his mouth. It was almost a smile; it would have to do. "So, ..." and Danny leaned forward to read the waiter's name plate and smile again. "Ah ... Giorgio. Thanks."

"Very good, sir," Giorgio said as he eye-balled the larger than normal tip. His head bobbed and he met Danny's eyes with a more attentive consideration. Still not quite on the better side of friendly, but definitely more interested in his guest than just a few moments earlier.

"Thank you, Mr. McGarrett," the waiter added. "This is very generous of you. Enjoy your stay."

"Oh, I will," Danny grinned while he raised an eyebrow devilishly in reply. "I'll be sure to do just that."

 _Oh yeah,_ if Steve knew the whole of it, Danny would be in deep shit, indeed. Some innate sense had warned him that Steve might try to ruin his time away by showing up unannounced. And so, he'd disabled the GPS on his car and then, upon check-in, he'd slightly altered his name and used his professional clout with hotel management to change just enough of his credentials. His credit card would not be run through the system until the very last day of his stay.

Still on Oahu, Danny was officially off the grid and virtually incognito right under Steve's very nose. Danny had manipulated his world just a tiny bit. Because what sane person would ever look for ... himself?

Entirely content, Danny chuckled as Giorgio left him. And when he sat down to his rib-eye steak dinner, he didn't lose that grin at all.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	3. Chapter 3

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

'He has one of our guests at gunpoint," the hotel manager explained. The man was sweating profusely and harried as he trotted along next to Steve in order to keep up with the ex-SEAL's longer strides. "A Mr. McGarrett. He checked in three days ago to our Park Studio Suite and ..."

"Wait! I'm sorry? What?" Steve stopped on a dime and swung so sharply into the manager that the man literally stumbled. "Did you say ... _McGarrett_?"

"I ... I ...did," the manager whispered in confusion. "Why? Is that a problem?"

Almost rudely, Steve tapped the front of his tac-vest where is own name was etched so obviously. The manager leaned forward to read the white letters and then gulped hard, more confused than ever before.

"Uh? So, is he ... _uh_ ... relative then maybe?" He stammered awkwardly. "I'm sorry ... I don't have ... I don't know ... I mean, ..."

"It's fine," Steve interrupted as he heaved in a deep breath of air. "It's probably a coincidence."

The hairs on his neck were now standing up though. It _was_ likely a very strange coincidence, yet even as he tried to explain it off, it all felt wrong. The timing was right in that he'd yet to find his partner and locating Danny had become a bit of a game. Albeit not a very fun one. Steve had come up dead empty on every single lead he had on locating Danny during his little _'break'_ and now, here in the hotel, his senses were tingling.

The situation just felt _off_ as he radio'd his location to Kono and then to Chin.

"What else do you know?" Steve asked as he readied his weapon. _McGarrett_?  It _was_ Danny ... he just knew it. But he wrinkled his nose as he chastised himself for being so suspicious.  Still ....

"Do you know anything about this gunman ... or about the hostage?"

"The gunman ... he's one of our employees. Well, to be more accurate, he was fired earlier this morning from our wait-staff," the manager explained hesitantly, nonplussed by Steve's change in attitude.

"It was an ugly experience. Giorgio. He ... he was employed here for 8 years and things began to unravel over the last few months. Late for work. Rudeness to our guests. He'd become unreliable, angry. Our guests had begun to complain about his unprofessionalism.  He'd been written up numerous times, spoken to;  but we were unable to resolve the issues. He wants money ... and an apology ... and I've called the home office. I don't know what to do! Right now, Giorgio is in the hotel restaurant - near the bar. It's been evacuated and Mr. McGarrett is the only hostage."

Steve nodded as he relayed the same information to Chin and Kono. Chin would be entering the restaurant from the rear loading bay and attempting egress through the kitchen. Kono had found a way through the emergency exit which traversed the banquet halls. She would eventually have the best vantage point from the rear of the small stage where nightly bands played.

He would be going through the front door. Directly in through the main entrance where he'd confront the ex-waiter and his strange namesake. His nose wrinkled again in consternation and he shook his head in disgust about the hostage. _No, no ... it just was some odd coincidence._ Checking his weapon one final time, Steve looked carefully into the large restaurant. The room had been evacuated in a hurry. Purses still hung from chairs, left behind by female visitors. A cell phone or two sat on tables, next to fine china, half eaten food and wine. Except for the low, piped in music, it was eerily quiet.

Edging carefully in, Steve rounded a corner, hugging the wall, in order to get a better view of the bar area and stopped cold. In stunned surprise, Steve slowly lowered his gun to the side as he came face to face with the waiter ... and his _hostage_... and their eyes met immediately.

"What the hell?!" Steve said loudly because he simply couldn't stop the startled exclamation from leaving his lips as his bound and gagged partner was thrust as a human shield between himself and the angry gunman.

"Danny?!"

" _Boss_?" Kono's stunned query sounded in his ear, but Steve had no words at all. He knew what she could easily see through the scope of her assault rifle. Hell, she wasn't even that far away at that point. Though she was hidden in the shadows of the stage, he sensed her presence easily enough. He nearly laughed out loud in shock though when she repeated it over the comm link.

_"Uh, Boss? I'm in place, but is that ... Danny?"_

"Mister McGarrett?" Steve virtually growled out as he completely forgot about the armed ex-waiter. He was deaf to Kono and never heard Chin say that he'd made the kitchen to cover his six. Steve narrowed his eyes at his partner, proverbial hackles raised, as he tried to process not only the scene in front of him, but also what the hotel manager had said. He'd looked for Danny for the last three days and had come up dead empty. Based on the 'cat who ate the canary' look on Danny's still not quite penitent face, clearly this was why.

Steve had been _had_ and he didn't much like it.

"Mister ... _McGarrett_? Is this ... _this_ ... your idea of a sabbatical, Daniel? It sure is one helluva joke."

Even gagged, Steve didn't miss the wrinkling of Danny's nose or tightening of his clenched jaw. Unrepentant, indeed. The muffled grunt was almost disgusted; impatient sounding.

"Oh, this is going to be good," Steve drolled out in response. "Once this is over, you're going to have a lot of explaining to do."

Incapable of replying, Danny merely rolled his eyes skywards before cocking his head meaningfully to the right. Towards the man who was holding him hostage at gun point. The silent demand was obvious, yet Steve paused, as if considering his options.

"Well, I dunno, Danno," Steve smirked noncommittally. "Maybe I'm just not in the mood to save your sorry ass twice in the same week. Maybe I just want to listen to what my new friend, Giorgio, has to say first."

Though he was at the ready, Steve practically dropped his weapon then, crossing his arms causally across his body while he rocked on his toes. His smirk deepened when Danny's eyes widened in surprise. Then there was a change and a narrowing of Danny's eyes in mutual challenge. A moment later, there was a mumbling of sound from behind the gag, the tone of which let Steve guess of the intent of the unintelligible words and he snorted.

"Bring it, Danno," Steve noted wryly.

 _"Hey! Are you two ... fighting?"_ Kono echoed softly in Steve's ear. _"Seriously? Now, at a time like this ... you're arguing?!"_

"Hey!" Giorgio added when he noticed that he was no longer the subject of the conversation; if he had ever been. "Hey! I've got a gun here ... and I'm going to kill him! You hear me?" He waggled his weapon meaningfully between himself and Steve. He shoved Danny forward, forcing him to stumble off balance. Then he rapped Danny hard in the head with the muzzle and Danny cursed behind the gag, wincing at first as his anger grew.

Steve's lips curled in anger at Giorgio's aggressiveness, only then really seeing Danny's rumpled state and the reddish bruise by his temple.

"Put the gun down and take your vest off," the ex-waiter demanded. "Do it now, or I kill hm."

"Take it easy," Steve ground out as he began to comply.

Beneath the gag, the frantic _n'huh-uh's_ went completely ignored. Ignoring Danny's irate sounds and refusing to look at his partner's face, Steve nodded once as he kept his attention on Giorgio. His gun went down on the floor, keeping his hands visible, Steve methodically removed his vest, too.

"So, what did he do?" Steve asked slyly despite the disturbing sound in his ear from Kono because, with that stumble, he'd noticed something very interesting about his partner. So, Kono was right in that this wasn't the question he should be asking. He should be calming their perp ... asking the man what he wanted of him or the posh hotel. Talking him down and taking him into custody. Now though, Steve's eyes were back on Danny's reddening face as he waved his hand idly towards his bound partner. Then, Steve glanced meaningfully down to Danny's supposedly injured ankle, his eyebrows raised questioningly at the obvious lack of the soft cast. The crutches also nowhere in sight.

"Foot all better there ... Mister McGarrett?" Steve couldn't help asking. "I guess that Studio Suite did the trick ... or, is it the fine spa that they have here, _huh_?"

Incredulous, Danny grunted helplessly through the gag. He bobbed his head and then tried to kick out at the gunman, another grunt ending breathlessly when a beefy hand closed off his windpipe. Giorgio was evidently strong and just a bit more pissed off than before. Danny gurgled and then choked, his eyes squeezing shut in discomfort.

" _Boss, the two of you can continue this argument later ... "_ she hissed warily. _"I almost have a clean shot ... what are you doing?"_

"He didn't do a damned thing," Giorgio ground out, his teeth clenched. "In fact, he's a damned good tipper. But I'm sick of being treated like dirt."

He dug his fingers ruthlessly into Danny's neck, then smacked him firmly in the side of the head for a second time to make his point, unaware of Steve's laser focus. "You listening to me? I'm gonna kill this idiot unless I get what's due me!"

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you," Steve growled in warning as he watched Danny's eyes briefly close in pain. That  angry reddened mark on his partner's temple was becoming more livid with each aggressive tap.

"If you touch him again, the only way you're going to be leaving here, is in a body bag."

The tone of his voice was suddenly dangerously different and yet, Giorgio sneered, believing the promise to be idle.

"Oh, I mean it," Steve whispered threateningly before the ex-waiter could challenge his words. "First of all, you managed to take a cop as a hostage. And secondly, that man there? He's my partner ... so, if you touch him again ... yeah, you ... Giorgio ... _you_ are not leaving here alive."

"A cop?" Giorgio repeated. "Mr. McGarrett here is a cop?"

He glanced towards Danny, assessing the validity of Steve's information and then shrugged as if it didn't matter. Scoffing in distaste, he eventually wound up shaking his head in acceptance of what he'd managed to do.

"So what ... I've gone this far. You're going to get me what I want or I kill him ... then you."

As if to make his own point, Giorgio methodically tapped the barrel of his gun against Danny's temple as he spouted each angry word. Earning an angry hiss from Steve, he dared to slap Danny even harder for good measure, rocking the blond on his feet.

"You're not going to do anything to _me_. Not with a hostage ... especially one that's a cop! You're going to listen to my demands ... give me what I want from this ... fine _establishment_ and then ... _you_ are going to get me a free ride out of here."

Self-righteous anger ever rising, Giorgio ended his diatribe with one last hit to Danny's head, this time with the butt of his weapon. Virtually cold-cocked, Danny gave out with a genuine grunt of pain. His eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled of their own accord, proving it was no ploy. Left wide open, Steve's smile was wicked as the waiter realized his deadly mistake. He let Danny go just as he aimed his gun at Steve's unprotected chest while simultaneously trying to dodge behind the breadth of the bar.

It never happened though. Giorgio never quite made it.

Steve barely had his own gun back in his hands when two shots rang out. He felt a hot burn slice through his bicep and he winced as he skidded under a table, too late,  for cover. But it was already too late for Giorgio because Kono had taken the opportunity.

"Kono!" Steve demanded needlessly as she affirmed the hit.

_"He's down ... got him! Clear ... go!"_

And Steve was already moving, too, taking the few scrabbled steps he needed to reach Danny's side.

"Danny?" Steve called out worriedly as he removed the gag and then sliced through the zip ties on his partner's wrists. He then carefully rolled Danny over onto his back, grimacing at the spit skin and thin ribbon of blood. Half-conscious, Danny moaned as he tried to get up, his hands weakly slapping at Steve's when he was stopped.

"M'fine," Danny muttered. "L'mme up."

"No, no you're not. So stay down," Steve replied as he kept his hand firmly on Danny's chest, grimacing at the ache in his bicep. Giorgio's lucky shot had taken a decent-sized chunk out of his arm. But ... _still_ ... he was admittedly annoyed.

"Stay down until the EMT's get here. And _do not move_ until you tell me how this sabbatical of yours going for you, _Mister McGarrett._ "

There was a long, long pause as Danny wet his lips. He palmed his head, his hands shaking, squinting at his fingertips which came away speckled with blood. He blinked at the red dots and then, through his splayed fingers, blearily looked up into Steve's rather stern face.

"Hi Steve."  Danny tried to grin, lopsided as it might have been, but that failed in spades through an obviously painful wince.  "Owe."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	4. Chapter 4

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

From where he lay on his gurney in the ER, Danny was fighting to not look Steve's way. With the nurse tending the wound to his forehead, he could no longer hide beneath his arm. And even though his head felt as if it might quite literally explode, he needed to find another way to bide his tongue. His only option was to keep his eyes closed as the nurse glued the wound shut. It didn't matter though. He was on the verge of attack and he could literally feel the anger rolling off his partner in waves which in turn stoked his own ire.

The cycle was becoming vicious.

They were both only putting off the inevitable because they were each primed to continue their verbal sparring. An argument for which Danny had provided Steve with quite a bit of new ammunition. The only reason for the delay in the fireworks had to do with the medical staff hovering around the two of them. But that temporary state had just about been reached because Danny's nurse was finishing up with his care and Steve's arm had nearly been stitched up his attending doctor.

Danny scowled darkly as he sensed the activity waning and when he was sure they were alone, he rolled onto his arm and squinted painfully Steve's way. As he'd anticipated, Steve was staring at him, just waiting for the same opportunity.

"What?" Steve bit out, his entire body was tense, validating that he certainly had his own half-baked agenda, too. "After all of this ... do you really think that you have a leg to stand on, Danno?"

"You took your vest off!" Danny cut to the chase angrily. "Right in front of me ... you put your gun down and ... _and_ took your vest off! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that my injured _partner_ was in trouble," Steve growled right back unflinchingly. "Which you were; so it was a calculated and a very necessary risk."

"Is that what you were doing down on the docks the other day, _huh_?" Danny challenged him back. "When you _thought_ you could keep up with some freak of nature, high on PCP? You were considering all those very _calculated_ risks inside that fool head of yours. And despite all of that on the fly planning, you almost got both of us killed!"

"The docks?! Are you still harping on that?" Steve spat out. "I had that situation totally under control!"

"Up until that freak pulled out a gun ... shot you at point blank range ... and then ... got away!" Danny argued. He blinked through a flux of blackish stars as his vision sparkled annoyingly. Needing to drop his voice, Danny swallowed hard to quell a sudden feeling of nausea.

"You left us both totally wide open," Danny muttered as he chose not to mention what had happened next.

"No," Steve said stubbornly. He shook his head, completely disagreeing with Danny's assessment. "I didn't leave us wide open ... I had everything under control."

Steve stopped talking then. His frowned deepened and he looked away from Danny's face. Pursing his lips, he shook his head again. "Everything was ... well, until he tackled you ... it had been under control, Danno."

The two quieted for a brief moment, considering things but then Danny made a face. He still wasn't quite willing to let things go.

"Well, then. If that's your definition, then I had today at the hotel totally under control, too," Danny retorted. He winced and then swallowed hard, arguing his stomach which objected once more to his surge of emotion. "Giorgio ... that whole thing was buttoned up. I didn't need your help at all."

"That? _That_ was under control? You've got a concussion and a glued head, Danno," Steve smirked, missing Danny's point. "So, if that was under control, I'd sure hate to see ... mayhem."

"Mayhem?" Danny choked on the unexpected word, eyes widening but then hissing as his raised voice rattled his own head. He'd had an important point that he'd wanted to make but Steve had just neatly sidetracked him. He paused, rubbed carefully at his forehead and then gestured Steve's way.

"Mayhem?" He repeated as he tried to get his thoughts back on track around an aching head. "You see that so much every day, it's your normal. So, ... case in point, yes, _the_ _docks_! Trouble follows you like a puppy and for whatever stupid reason, I get caught up in it."

"A _puppy_?" Steve asked incredulously. "Is that the best you can do Danno? Because you ... masquerading around like me ... just to hide like some five year old? That really takes the cake. Besides, you can't blame Giorgio on me because I wasn't even there when it went down!"

"It worked though didn't it?" Danny hissed back slyly, blinking wildly as he saw even more blackish lights twinkling dangerously in front of his eyes. "Admit it ... you tried to find me. You did ... and it pissed you off no end when you couldn't!"

He'd just managed to poke at Steve's buttons again, but Danny didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he lay back down and closed his eyes. He bit his lip hard then, willing his stomach to stop its awful churning. But the room was spinning now and he audibly gagged.

" _Danny_ ..., " Steve ground out through gritted teeth.

"Gentlemen!" Suddenly, the head ER nurse stood between their two gurneys, arms spread between them as if to prevent open bloodshed inside her Emergency Room. She glared at Danny when he peeked up at her. She looked every bit annoyed as he choked and gagged again, his pallor changing to an alarming off-white color.

"Detective Williams ... you're in no condition to be carrying on like this."

"Yeah," Danny muttered as he coughed painfully into his fist. "I'm good ... it's fine."

"If I'm such a trouble magnet, why did you use my name then?" Steve hissed through the nurse, ignoring the woman's adamant glare to keep his voice down.

"I just told you," Danny said as he forced himself back onto his elbow. "The whole point was to get away ... I needed some time away. Have some nice quiet time _away_ for a few days. And it worked, didn't it? You had no idea and I had a blessedly quiet, uneventful weekend. Except ... it eventually caught up with me. You ... _you're name_ ... found me!"

"My _name_ found you?" Steve barked back in surprise. "I didn't make Giorigio kidnap your ass! It just happened!"

"It's your damned name!" Danny shouted back unexpectedly. "So much for calculated risks," he moaned, his face even more pale than before. "It's ... jinxed."

"Jinxed? My name!? You _stole_ it for this stupid, dumb ... _sabbatical_!"

"Karma," the nurse suddenly spouted. She hadn't left the room at all, stunned by their ongoing battle of wills. The clear timbre of her voice neatly cut through their argument and the one word shocked them into momentary silence.

"It's Karma. Pure and simple," she shrugged while looking from one to the other. She crossed her arms, daring them to object. "You two are of the same ... ilk and I've heard enough of this to know Karma when I see it. The universe is definitely trying to tell you two something, gentlemen ... now apologize to each other. You first, Detective."

"Say what? Did you just say the word ... _ilk_?" Danny asked, eyebrows raised as high as they could go. For a minute, he forgot the throbbing of his brain inside his skull and almost laughed. "And ... and you want _me_ to apologize to _him_ when he's the one who takes stupid risks?"

"You got me _shot_ , Danno," Steve argued back. "So yeah, you can apologize first. Isn't that your own rule? When you get your partner shot ... you apologize. I remember you saying that pretty well in fact.

Steve grinned happily at that memory, his smile suddenly lighting up his features. He looked from Danny to the nurse and then back again. "Yup, you owe me an apology, buddy."

"But, ...," Danny started and then stopped, utterly bewildered. He blinked stupidly. He was completely flummoxed and unable to come up with a single retort. The nurse smiled warmly at him and Steve's grin became a jubilant smile. How had they wound up here with him entirely in the wrong?

"I saved your life down on those docks," Steve calmly reminded him. "And what do you do? You steal my name and hide out like a criminal for three days. You fake an injury to your ankle, just to make me feel bad. To what? Teach me a lesson? So, I have only three words for you right now, Danno: Park. Studio. Suite."

"You broke cover both times ... you could have been killed," Danny muttered under his breath. He was rapidly losing steam, his head throbbing with each word no matter how softly he tried to speak. He'd lost his own plot and couldn't get it back.

"I thought ... don't you get it? I lost you down on the docks ... then when that damned gun went off and you didn't get up! I was too far away to do anything!"

"I was _fine_ ," Steve replied. "Totally fine ... but you nearly drowned. I thought you were dead," he admitted softly. "You almost drowned, Danno. But you're ankle wasn't even hurt. The cast ... the crutches ... none of that was real. Why the hell would you do that?"

"You were not fine and I was trying to make a point," Danny insisted. He waved his hand towards Steve's arm as an example, flimsy as that example might have been. "I don't know how else to get your attention!"

"That's just ... stupid," Steve complained. "You always have my attention ... I pay attention, Danno!"

"Karma, gentlemen," the nurse interrupted firmly as Danny's mouth gaped soundlessly open. "Karma. Plain and simple."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	5. Chapter 5

 

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

Danny sat in the lounge chair, slouched down low, the darkest glasses he could find covering his eyes despite the setting sun. He felt better, but wasn't entirely whole just yet. The ride with Sergeant Duke Lukela had been ... a challenge. Not because Danny had begged the older man to maintain a level of secrecy, but more because every bump in the macadam had rattled his head despite the pain meds he'd been given at the hospital. Then, the subsequent trip in the small puddle-jumper had nearly done him in. The noise, severity of vibration and not so subtle dips and turns of the aircraft had left him a wrung out, sweaty mess. By then, he knew that the ER doctor had been right in his advice when he'd reluctantly released him: _go home, rest. Make sure a friend or family member checked in with him. Do nothing more for at least three or four days in order to properly heal._

Travel had not been on the good doctor's docket for his patient. Danny had forged on though, all the way through the final taxi drive to the all-inclusive resort on Maui. And he'd all but crumpled into bed as soon as the door closed to the palatial suite. He didn't feel well and was plagued by odd dreams. There were snippets of time where his rest was disturbed and he'd mumble some word or another before sinking back down to a deeper sleep. Overall, though, he barely twitched for hours on end until well after a mid-day meal should have been eaten.

Well after, he should have taken another dose of pain medication for the migraine which threatened. Something he'd clearly forgotten to do before wandering down to the beach.

Danny moaned under his breath about this oversight as his head gave out with a dull thud. He'd finally pulled himself together to limp down to the spit of private beach where he'd collapsed into one of the empty chairs at the water's edge to dismally watch the sunset. He should have taken his meds first; obviously, he wasn't yet charging on all cylinders. Reluctant to move, he hunched down there now, alone, digging his heels into the sand. Eyes closing again, he measured the level of dull ache left inside his head.

"Not too bad," he muttered under his breath. "Not too bad at all." His tone was thankful, relieved even as he completely relaxed and just listened to the waves hitting the sand, the water receding with a soft repetitive hiss.

Danny was in a deep doze when he sensed that he was no longer alone. The sensation of being watched, roused him and he jerked awake. Forcing his eyes back open, Danny squinted upwards, the man's silhouette darkened not only by his sunglasses, but also by dusky shadows.

"Hello, Mister McGarrett." A deep voice echoed to him on the wave of a soft chuckle. "So nice to see you finally ... awake."

Danny grinned as Steve sat down next to him. "Hey," Danny said sheepishly. "So, about that ...I figured ... you know, using your name..."

"It's done, Danny," Steve interrupted. "And what you did ... well, to be honest, it was kind of ... funny. I couldn't find you at all."

Danny smirked knowingly. "So, you _did_ look."

"Yeah, I did," Steve admitted. "Anyway, so we're here now. You slept for about six hours; I checked on you a few times and you barely said your name ... I was getting a little worried. Here, take these. How's the head ... still feeling sick?"

Danny sensed Steve shifting around in the second chair. Without looking, he held his hand out to the side and chuffed a surprised noise when he was given a cold bottle of water and two pills. His pain medication. Of course.

"Thanks. I forgot ... head hurts," Danny said gratefully. "Not too bad though." He popped the medication into his mouth and took a long swallow of the water. The doctor had been right in that he'd do better with some help for a day or two and Danny sighed in defeat, refusing to open his eyes more than a crack.

"Think they miss us?" Steve asked unexpectedly. "I mean ... except for Duke ... we didn't leave word for either Chin or Kono. "

"Nope," Danny replied before slightly recanting. He grinned into the lip of the water bottle and shrugged. "Well, maybe."

"Maybe ... yes! And Duke ... he just might tell," Steve revised that opinion and Danny's dodgy request of the older Sergeant. He raised an eyebrow when Danny grinned, glancing out over the waters only to then chuff a happy sound. The sun was setting well into the horizon and the water rippled with color. "Okay, I have to admit that this is nice. But ... come on ... you don't feel guilty - not even a little bit?"

"Ah ... nope. Not guilty, Steven," Danny considered his answer and then pursed his lips. "I _need_ ... and I am determined ... to have this break." He'd once again left himself wide open for attack and for a minute, Danny bristled because, despite this rather pleasant conversation, he'd not truly let things go. And he was sure that Steve was also skating around that truth.

"You sure?" Steve goaded lightly. ' _Yeah, skating,'_ Danny thought.

Danny glowered as he tamped down on his temper when his head thumped a dire warning. He sighed ruefully while rubbing at the small strip of white tape by his head, knowing all the while that Steve was watching him like a hawk. Measuring him; testing him. No, Steve definitely hadn't let things go either.

But what they'd just done together was ... unexpected; strange. In many ways, what they'd just done after leaving the hospital, mimicked Danny's own earlier escapade. If they were still mad at each other, it actually made no sense at all. Unless one considered what the ER nurse had declared.

Karma. Their _universe_ \- or whatever it was which made their worlds collide - certainly had a plan for them.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Danny insisted stubbornly. Sure enough, there was a soft snort from the lounge chair next to him and Danny glanced over, the sight of Steve's lopsided grin erasing some of the residual ache he was feeling. Steve heaved in a lungful of air as he measured Danny's expression and nodded as if in agreement. To Danny's absolute relief, Steve chose not to pounce on him one final time. Instead, Steve took a long swallow from the bottle of beer which Danny hadn't even noticed in his hand.

"Should you be drinking that?" Danny asked. "Meds? Antibiotics? Hello?! I don't think that's on the list of okay foods, Steven!" He eyed the bottle, somewhat displeased. Steve's injured arm was still in the sling and tucked tightly to his body and yet, Steve's eyes were glittering happily as he teased Danny by taking yet another and very long swig from the dark bottle.

"I'm fine ... skipped the pain meds. I _needed_ the beer." With a dramatic flare, Steve tipped the bottle in Danny's direction, grinning devilishly. "Love ya, Danno."

"You needed ... _needed_ the beer?" Danny retorted. "Well, so do I! But I'm not because I follow doctor's orders ... so, you know what ...?"

"Nah," Steve interrupted, his eyes twinkling as he paused to take a long, satisfied pull from the bottle. "No, no you don't."

"Yes, yes!" Danny argued back. "Yes! This time I think that I really do! For a beer ... I do."

"That will all change in a day or two," Steve quipped back happily. "Besides, a concussion is nothing to play with; and you only _think_ you hate me right now. It's a side affect of being concussed." He stretched his legs out in the sand and sighed.

"Just rest up, Danno ... relax. We're at one of the best, premium resorts on Maui, buddy. Things couldn't be better and besides, like you said, I'm a big tipper."

"Yeah, you're a big tipper, Steven," Danny grumbled sarcastically. "Huge, in fact."

"You know what, Danno?" Steve said conversationally, completely ignoring Danny's jibe, which Danny belatedly realized was likely a very good thing. He gestured towards the horizon, the reds now a deep blackish-purple. "This sabbatical thing ... it's a great idea. I have to say it ... this isn't so bad at all. _Man_ , would you just _look_ at that sunset?"

"So, you're _over_ me talking Duke into shuttling us to the airport?" Danny asked slyly. "I mean, if this karma thing is true, then ... this was meant to be, right? We're sort of ... stuck together."

"Hmm," Steve concurred. "Definitely stuck, Danno, and with the doc demanding that you needed help for the next twenty-four hours, it seemed right in the end for me to get stuck, too. You shouldn't be alone with a concussion, buddy. I'm not so convinced Duke will stay quiet if pressed, but even with all of that ... _today, right now_ ... this is a good kind of stuck."

"Yeah, today ... right now," Danny whispered, his mood suddenly fickle. His tone completely changed, becoming accusatory and he surprised himself by bringing up the same touchy subject he'd hoped Steve not mention. It was as if he simply couldn't avoid what was so deeply troubling his soul.

"Karma ... _karma_ is great when it's this kind of stuck, isn't it?" He bemoaned.

"Karma? Yeah," Steve grunted in agreement, but the sound he made indicated he'd caught Danny's shift in mood. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, beer bottle hanging down low towards the sand. "Are we really going to talk about this? Again?"

"We never finished," Danny muttered. He wanted to stop himself. He really did, but something inside him was just incapable and he grimaced when Steve hit the nail on the head.

"You ... _you_ never finished," Steve loudly argued back. "Me, I was done!"

Pulling the sunglasses off his face, Danny turned in his chair. "You're only done because you insist that you had everything under control despite evidence to the contrary."

"What do you want from me, Danno?" Steve sighed in defeat. "I think we both got beat up over this; you made your point. I made mine. We're both right ... then again, we're both dead wrong. Aren't we? It's the same thing ... every damned time. We both have our methods. We both have our ... expectations. Let it go!"

Danny sniffed tiredly. Steve was right. He couldn't stop or let things go. And because of that, they often went down this very same path nearly every single time, the question is _why_ did he persist then? If they knew each other so well, then why ever did they - no, he - continually revisit, rehash and regurgitate precisely the same issues time and again? And if things were so bad, why ever did they stay partners?

The simplest answer was because it simply _worked_.

"Freaking karma," Danny muttered to himself as he stared at Steve's sling. Mindful of his bruised head, he rubbed his fingers through his hair and put the sunglasses back on before slumping into his chair. "Ilk ... and karma."

"Probably," Steve replied evenly, his voice dropping back to a normal tenor. He waited the breadth of a heartbeat and then turned in his chair, his shadow falling across Danny's face. "So ... about those ... expectations then?"

"What?" Danny scowled at the question, noting the humor rippling through Steve's undertone. He squinted behind his sunglasses, thinking. He stayed quiet, crunching through things in his mind as he tried to figure out what Steve meant and then he narrowed his eyes in understanding. He suddenly damn well knew what Steve was hinting at.

"Fine," he said. " _Fine_! You got shot ... my fault ... I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven," Steve gushed happily. The resulting pleased chuckle irked Danny no end and he pursed his lips in annoyance, the scowl seemingly permanently laced across his face.

"So ...?," Danny ground out, teeth gritted from saying more. "Your turn."

"Okay. Me too, Danno," Steve replied after a long, long silence. "I'm sorry, too. For what happened on the docks ... and the vest." Steve paused for a half-second longer and then laughed out loud.

"But, I'd do it again!"

"Seriously! You would do it again!" Danny nearly shouted as he threw one hand up in the air, wincing when he automatically rolled his eyes in exasperation and his head vibrated with a disagreeable ache. "Now, how is that an apology? _Huh_? You just negated the whole damned thing!"

Steve grinned, laughing more when Danny glared at him.

"It's not right," Danny complained. He shook his head in exasperation, grimacing as that dull thud revisited with a vengeance.

There was a rustling behind them then, but Danny didn't bother to turn around. Instead, he stayed in a huff as their beach-side waitress delivered another tray of drinks. Beer for Steve and more cold water for him. Evidently, Steve had been busy making their stay even more comfortable while Danny had slept.

"Mr. Kelly," the waitress asked of Steve. "Is everything all right, sir? Are you ready for dinner yet?"

"Just peachy," Steve replied breezily as he signed the voucher for their room. He blatantly ignored Danny's soft gasp. "Perfect ... we'll be ordering dinner in about an hour I'd say, come back then?"

"Sure, Mr. Kelly," the waitress replied with a pleasant smile for each of them before leaving.

"Mister ... Kelly?" Danny asked, utterly stunned. "What did she just say?" He turned in his chair and slowly removed his sunglasses. Eyes wide, he stared at Steve in disbelief.

" _Kelly_?"

"What? What's wrong?" Steve asked, biting back a grin, his expression nothing short of pure, unadulterated innocence.

 

_**Tiny little Postscript** _

**H5O* H5O***

"Where are they?" Kono asked. "And Duke knows! I _know_ that the knows and he's avoiding me!"

She'd first tried Steve's cell phone and then Danny's, with no luck whatsoever. Both went directly to voicemail. She leaned back in her chair, completely confused since Steve and Danny had been released from the hospital ... together ... and yet neither had called for a ride home. Why? Because she'd learned through a bit of detective work that Duke Lukela had taken them ... somewhere.

"They enlisted Duke! Can you believe that?!" She was incredulous. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Chin replied. He was fighting a smile though as he considered a few options and then shrugged helplessly. "You know, I _really_ don't know, but I'm sure they're fine."

He walked a short circle in front of Kono's desk, fighting his smile the entire time. He was sure nothing was wrong ... yet, he had absolutely no answers for his cousin. With a softly chuffed chuckle, Chin walked over to the large window and peered quizzically out into the dimming purples of the sunset.

He grinned and then just had to laugh.

_**~ End. ~** _


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